Meeting rescheduled
The town hall meeting that was to be held Friday at 4:30 p.m. has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Orchard Knob Elementary School, located at 2000 E. Third St.
More info
To learn more about Tennessee’s education plan and to leave comments about it visit: www.tn.gov/education/section/essa
UPDATE: Because of the threat of inclement weather and likely school closings Friday, Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen's town hall meeting is canceled.
The meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 5:30 p.m., at Orchard Knob Elementary School.
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What can state education leaders do to bolster education in Tennessee's classrooms?
You have a chance to voice your thoughts directly to the state's education chief Friday afternoon, weather permitting.
Before finalizing a copy of the state's education plan, Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen is holding a town hall meeting at Orchard Knob Elementary School, and she will share information about the plan and gather feedback from the community.
The state's plan empowers school districts to make decisions that best serve its students and increases transparency about how well schools are serving all students, according to Sara Gast, director of strategic communications for the Tennessee Department of Education.
"We want to ensure the public is aware of both the opportunities available and how we are holding districts and schools responsible for supporting every student," Gast said in an email.
Dan Liner, president of the Hamilton County Education Association, hopes a swell of teachers will attend the town hall.
"It's vitally important that Hamilton County educators have a voice in shaping the policy that will affect them directly," he said.
The nation's new education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, replaces the embattled No Child Left Behind legislation and shifts decision-making power from Washington to the states. The new education law, known as ESSA, requires each state to develop its own plan for education and gives states discretion in setting goals, determining how to hold districts, schools and teachers accountable, and deciding how to intervene in low-performing schools.
For more than a year, Tennessee has been working to develop its plan, and has sought various levels of community and educator feedback throughout the process. The state is scheduled to submit a final version of its plan to the U.S. Department of Education this spring.
There is uncertainty about how President-elect Donald Trump's administration will impact states' plans and whether it will enforce all of the provisions written into the bipartisan legislation of ESSA.
Regardless, the plan Tennessee has drafted takes strides toward increased accountability and equity within schools.
Liner said one of the key challenges almost every educator in Hamilton County must address is the achievement gap between students.
"ESSA provides tools and funding that will enable teachers to more readily address the achievement gap and to have access to resources that enable them to offer differentiated instruction to bring students up to grade level," he said.
Liner said educators are concerned about excessive standardized testing, the state's current evaluation system for teachers and access to resources. He hopes the state will take these things in consideration as it finalizes its ESSA plan.
Jill Levine, chief academic officer for Hamilton County Schools, said ESSA grants greater local control, allowing those who know the community and kids best to have a stronger voice in education.
"The new ESSA law challenges us to continuously strive to ensure that all of our students, but especially those who attend high-poverty schools, have access to an excellent education," according to Levine.
McQueen has held similar meetings in the state's other large school districts last month.
Contact staff writer Kendi A. Rainwater at krainwater@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow on Twitter @kendi_and.